Six Leadership Traits For Changemakers

Over the course of five months, Council Fellows engage in nine experiential learning sessions on topics ranging from cost of care and health equity to innovation and market segments. The program culminates in a two-day, future-forward planning intensive where cohort members discern collective opportunities to achieve impact at scale. The heart of day one of Fellows Closing retreat programming centered on coaching, inspiration and strategic tactics to help each participant become their best self as a leader.  

CEO, board director, strategic advisor and entrepreneur Beth R. Chase, who forged a career helping companies identify, develop and implement value-creation strategies, opened the morning with an uplifting and reflective presentation on six leadership traits that have served her well in her ability to effect change as a leader.  

Acknowledging that effecting change as a leader often requires strong facilitation and negotiating skills, Chase underscored respect for the individual, and for the value of teamwork, as foundational to successful leadership. Chase also outlined the core focus areas that hold her attention when it comes to those things she’s doing in a leadership role—namely, visioning, aligning, strategizing, planning, executing plans and developing people. 

She then went on to highlight the six character traits that guide her when she reflects on being in a leadership role: 

1. Purpose. Write your purpose statement in 12-13 words, and use that as a guiding document to help you determine your course and live out your “why” in both professional and personal life. Beth’s purpose statement: to develop long-term, meaningful, positive relationships that make a lasting impact on all. 
2. Confidence. Studies show that confidence is a bigger determinant of success than competence. As changemakers, it’s important to exercise confidence—even when we don’t know, even when we have to fake it ‘til we make it. We have to demonstrate confidence to our teammates, and to ourselves.
3. Courage. The ability to be brave when you cannot yet see the road ahead or control the outcome. We can’t always see the full road ahead, but we can help to paint the picture. Lots of changes are needed in healthcare, and it will take courage to make that change happen.
4. Curiosity. Strive to create a learning environment (lots of people with more to learn) vs. an expert environment (lots of people who know everything). Remember that what you know is only a tiny piece of the pie; what you know you don’t know is a slightly bigger wedge, and the vast majority of the picture is comprised of things you don’t even know you don’t know. 
5. Grit. Persistence is vital in an industry like ours. And when the going gets tough in changemaking, grit is absolutely critical. Change is a rocky endeavor, and leaders have got to have staying power to make change happen.
6. Impact. Making an impact is easy. First you show up; then you get involved; then you make a difference. When you’re involved in the community, you’re growing your own leadership skills, you’re growing your network and you’re making an impact. That’s a triple play, and it will serve you both as a changemaker, and as a leader in other capacities.  

About Council Fellows